Duguetia dilabens Chatrou & Repetur, Changing Genera: 69, 1998

Couvreur, Thomas L. P., Dagallier, Leo-Paul M. J., Crozier, Francoise, Ghogue, Jean-Paul, Hoekstra, Paul H., Kamdem, Narcisse G., Johnson, David M., Murray, Nancy A. & Sonke, Bonaventure, 2022, Flora of Cameroon - Annonaceae Vol 45, PhytoKeys 207, pp. 1-532 : 106-108

Duguetia dilabens Chatrou & Repetur, Changing Genera: 69, 1998

Map 4A

Type.

Gabon. Ngounié; new road from Mouila to Yeno, 5 km on either side of Kembele village , Thomas D.W. & Wilks C.M. 6510, 20 Jul 1986: lectotype, sheet here designated: WAG[WAG0143388]; isotypes: MO[MO-357359]; P[P00389133]; WAG[WAG0027128] .

Description.

Tree, up to 30 m tall, d.b.h. unknown; stilt roots or buttresses absent. Indumentum of stellate or fasciculate hairs; old leafless branches sparsely pubescent to glabrous, young foliate branches sparsely pubescent. Leaves: petiole 4-5 mm long, 2-3 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent, grooved, blade inserted on the side of the petiole; blade 7-16 cm long, 2.5-6 cm wide, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, apex acuminate to acute, acumen ca. 1 cm long, base acute, subcoriaceous, below sparsely pubescent when young and old, above glabrous when young and old, concolorous; midrib sunken or flat, above glabrous when young and old, below sparsely pubescent when young and old; secondary veins 8 to 15 pairs, distinct, glabrous below; tertiary venation reticulate. Individuals bisexual; inflorescences ramiflorous on young foliate branches, leaf opposed, not forming a peduncle. Flowers with 9 perianth parts in 3 whorls, 2 to 4 per inflorescence; pedicel 10-12 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to densely pubescent; in fruit 10-50 mm long, 1-15 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent to densely pubescent; bracts 2, one basal and one towards the lower half of pedicel, basal bracts 5-9 mm long, 7-9 mm wide; sepals 3, valvate, free, 12-15 mm long, 6-9 mm wide, elliptic to ovate, apex acute, base truncate, greyish green, pubescent outside, pubescent inside, margins flat; petals free, outer petals longer than inner to sub equal; outer petals 3, 12-15 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, ovate, apex acute, base truncate, white, margins flat, sparsely pubescent outside, glabrous inside; inner petals 3, imbricate, 13-15 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, elliptic, apex acute, base truncate, margins flat, pubescent outside, glabrous inside; stamens numerous, 1 mm long, broad; connective discoid, glabrous, red; staminodes absent; carpels free, ca. 75, 2-3.5 mm long, stigma globose, glabrous. Fruit pseudosyncarpous, size and shape unknown; carpels sessile, free to basally fused, unknown number of carpels, 20-35 mm long, ovary 10-30 mm in diameter, obovoid to deltoid, apex apiculate, pubescent, densely pubescent, longitudinally ribbed with 6 to 7 main ribs, color unknown; seed 1 per monocarp, 12-20 mm long, 10-13 mm in diameter, ellipsoid; aril present, color unknown.

Distribution.

Known from Gabon and Cameroon; in Cameroon known from South and Littoral regions.

Habitat.

A rare species known from four specimens; in lowland periodically inundated or non-inundated rain forests. Altitude 0-500 m a.s.l.

Local and common names known in Cameroon.

None recorded.

IUCN conservation status.

Endangered (EN) ( Texier and Stévart 2020)

Uses in Cameroon.

None recorded.

Notes.

Duguetia dilabens is distinguished by its leaves that are narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, the midrib not grooved above and the carpels only basally fused in fruit. It was recently collected in Campo Ma’an National Park (Couvreur 692), but the sample is sterile and the identification remains doubtful, although the leaves do match the type specimen. Couvreur 692 also notes that the trunk had a bark peeling in smallish flakes.

Specimens examined.

South Region: Reserve forestière de la Kienké (Kribi-Ebolowa km 16), 3.1°N, 10.25°E, 05 January 1968, Bamps P.R.J. 1679 (BR, YA); Campo Ma'an National Park 11 km on trail from Ebinanemeyong village on road 7 km from Nyabessan to Campo town, 2.49°N, 10.34°E, 12 February 2015, Couvreur T.L.P. 692 (WAG,YA) .

Figures

Map 4. A Duguetia dilabens B Duguetia staudtii C Greenwayodendron glabrum D Greenwayodendron suaveolens E Hexalobus bussei F Hexalobus crispiflorus G Hexalobus monopetalus H Hexalobus salicifolius I Isolona campanulata. White borders represent region limits in Cameroon; green patches represent protected areas (see methods and Suppl. material 1: Fig. S 1).